Getting to know God the Father in Matthew 6

Matthew 6:9 “Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name."

Introduction:
Do you remember the first time you ever met the significant people in your life? I'm talking about your spouse, maybe when you first saw your newborn children or a lifelong friend. We always want to know what they are like and who they are in their identity. 

God is without question the most important Being we could ever know. He meets us where we are at. When we first trust in God, we come to understand that He is identified in the Bible as three Persons: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Father is designated the First Person of the Trinity due to the fact He is the First Person we meet in scripture (Genesis 1:1). As is the case with the other two Persons, the Father is in and of Himself truly God in relationship with the other two Persons which are each truly God. All three Persons share in the One Divine "Godness" or "Divine nature", with the Divine nature located within all three Persons.  

Today's post aims to unfold the identity and nature of the First-Person of the Trinity: the Father. Matthew 6 will be our target text as we hear Jesus unfold the identity and being of the Father, and how we can know Him.

God the Father is the Heavenly Father. Matthew 6:1,9,14,26,32
On five occasions Jesus makes reference to the Person of God the Father being "the Heavenly Father". As the Heavenly Father, we find that the only way one can know God as his Heavenly Father is through faith in trust in Jesus Christ. Indeed, God as the Father is the source from whence all creatures here on earth derive their physical life and being, since He (along with the Son and Spirit) is God, Creator of all things. We could say God the Father exercises "Fatherly care" toward his creation as the Good God. Acts 17:28 notes for instance: "for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children." 

We mustn't read into Acts 17:28 or the other passages that speak of His providential care and goodness towards creation some sort of "Universal Fatherhood" idea which negates the exclusivity of salvation in Jesus Christ. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 lays out clear distinctions with respect to how one truly knows God the Father: 

"God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men."

Just as I can be "fatherly" towards children in general and yet be only and truly the father of my own children, such distinctions roughly describe how we conceive of God the Father's relationship to creation and His people. 

Jesus' use of the title "Heavenly Father" clearly implies that the person who prays to Him and receive from Him is in relationship with Him in saving faith. 
The concept of "Heavenly Father" on the lips of Jesus would had been familiar to the Jews. Ben Witherington III and Laura M. Ice in their book: "The Shadow of the Almighty - Father, Son and Spirit in Biblical Perspective" list the following Old Testament texts that refer to God the Father: Deuteronomy 32:6; Ps 2:7; Ps 89:26-28; Isaiah 64:6-8; Jer. 3:19; Hosea 11:1-9; Malachi 2:10. 

What made Jesus' usage of this title so unique was the fact that He was encouraging his disciples to pray individually to the "Father in Heaven". 
In Jesus' use of the phrase "Heavenly Father", we find that God the Father is:

1. Personally known by saving faith (see discussion above and Matthew 6:9 where we see the personal pronoun "our Heavenly Father")


2. Perfectly Powerful, meaning He is omnipotent (Matt 6:33) and omniscient (six times Jesus mentioned the Father being able to "see in secret", as well as the Father "knowing what we need before we ask" in Matthew 6:8) and holy (Hollowed be Your name" - Matthew 6:9). The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 summarizes this point:
"He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise."

So God the Father is the Heavenly Father, but notice also what Jesus says about God the Father, namely He is....

God the Father is the Kingly Father. Matthew 6:10 and 6:33 
Jesus unfolds the fact that there is a Kingdom, a realm over which God the Father exercises His reign. 

1. The Kingly Father has a Kingdom. 
This "Kingdom of God" concept dominates so much of the Four Gospels that it occupies the center of Jesus' preaching and teaching ministry. Jesus urges his listeners to make the Father's Kingdom a pressing matter of prayer. 

2. The Kingly Father exercises His will. 
Added to these admonitions is the fact of the Father's will. As Jesus operated through His humanity, He Himself possessed a distinct human will and a distinct Divine will in union with the Father. Jesus' remarks aim to show how the Kingly majesty of the Father includes the exercise of the Divine will of God, of which He as co-sharer with the Father operated. 

The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 notes the following about the Kingly majesty of the God the Father:

"God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace."

Perhaps one of the most practical statements one can find regarding the Father's kingly rule and kingdom is in Matthew 6:33 - "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

So we find that God the Father is identified as the Heavenly Father and as the Kingly Father. Let's consider today one final thought as we are getting to know God the Father from Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6....

God the Father is the Merciful Father. Matthew 6:11-34
It bears pausing here briefly to consider how one becomes convinced that God the Father is both Kingly or worthy of worship and merciful or truly and honestly good. Both concepts of general, overall fatherhood are often called into question in our culture. 

One of the main tasks of the Holy Spirit following our salvation is to reteach us what the concept "Father" means. Some reading this perhaps never had a father. Others may had a father, but that father was abusive, or left or passed away. Even if one had a so-called "good father" growing up, there were bound to be those times when one's earthly father disappointed or failed. Quite frankly, one of the devices of the enemy is to cloud people's concepts of God the Father and replace their conceptions with lies and deceit (after all, Jesus calls Satan "the father of lies" in John 8:44).

With that caveat, we briefly consider this last point of God the Father as a merciful Father. We can note several related thoughts in Matthew 6:11-34. 

1. The merciful Father is pleased to forgive sins. Matthew 6:12-15

2. The merciful Father provides for our needs. Matthew 6:11, 25-34

3. The merciful Father hears the prayer. Matthew 6:16-18, 21,33.

Closing thoughts:
Today we looked at what Jesus had to teach us in getting to know God the Father. We noted three truths about God the Father:

1. He is the Heavenly Father
2. He is the Kingly Father
3. He is the Merciful Father

A quick summary of the Book of Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, 20 by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

Introduction:
The last several days have been devoted to offering readers quick summaries of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. These first four books of the Bible and the fifth (Deuteronomy) function as a unit in God's saga of His people: the nation of Israel. Exodus lies at the heart of the five, recording the birth of the nation from a group of between two to three million people. Israel is the only nation on earth that came forth in antiquity without having conquered a prior people or culture. If anything, it had been enslaved for hundreds of years. The only explanation for such an unprecedented birth would be the fact God had called it out of a veritable nothing into being. 

The Book of Genesis functions as the prequel to Exodus. We find God calling forth all of space-time reality out of nothing into being in its opening chapters. By the time we arrive in Genesis 12-17, we find God using Abraham and a Barren Sarah to bring forth a son - Isaac. From this one family would come forth the Hebrew peoples through Jacob (Isaac's son) and Jacob's twelve sons. God is fond of repeated patterns in His word to drive home the point of His redemptive purposes.

The books of Leviticus and Numbers function as the sequels to Exodus, detailing 40 years of life from the harsh whip of Pharaoh to following God in the desert. God's grace as Yahweh figures centrally in the dramatic pages of these books. Deuteronomy operates as the dramatic conclusion to not only this incredible sequence of events, but also to the end of Moses' life. We have followed Moses from birth to his 120th year. Today we close out our survey by offering up a quick summary of the Book of Deuteronomy.

What we discover in the Book of Deuteronomy: preparing for entry into the promised land
Moses has been leading the nation of Israel for 40 years. Two generations of Jewish people would be born under his watch. Yahweh had revealed the "Torah" or law by Moses and the Tabernacle to the first generation. In Numbers 13 the first generation rejected the report of the two of the twelve spies with respect to the promised land, resulting in God's judgment and barring of them from ever entering into the land. Just as God judged Adam and Eve and forbade them access to the Tree of life as a result of their breaking the Covenant of works in Genesis 3, we seem to find a similar set of events replayed in the first generation of Israelites.

Thankfully God offered Adam and Eve a second chance by extending unto them a covenant of grace: blood bought redemption through His grace and received upon a response in faith to His Gospel call. The tabernacle revelation functions as the pictorial illustration of God's gracious dealings with His people. He knew they would fail and still chose to reveal the Tabernacle. It would be the second generation that would end up being encamped on the Eastern Banks of the Jordan River. Although their parents had failed, they were sustained for 40 years by Yahweh through the mediation of grace He afforded them through the tabernacle system. Foreshadowed in the tabernacle system is the promise of salvation which would be the ultimate Person of the Son in human flesh - the Lord Jesus Christ. 

As God spoke through Moses, Moses delivered the words of God to the people of God. Deuteronomy records those words, just like the other four books prior. Moses is reaching the 120th year of his life, and so God will give him a final series of sermons to deliver to this second generation of Jewish people. Many of them had not yet been born when God had originally revealed Himself in the Red Sea and Mount Sinai events in Exodus 12-20. They needed instruction and rehearsal of their redemptive identity. Deuteronomy looks backward and then forward to what they'll have to face when they do enter the promised land under Joshua' leadership in the Book of Joshua.

You and I dear reader need God's Words to enable us to understand who were are and whose we are. For Christians, Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord. The scriptures inform us of what He has done. They also point forward to what He will do upon His second coming. Thirdly, the Bible equips us for the here and now. Deuteronomy did this for the Israelites. Below we see a proposed outline of the book:

1. Moses' First Sermon: Rehearsing the past relationship between Yahweh and His people. 1:1-4:43

2. Moses' Second Sermon: Moses' second sermon whereby He expounds upon the Law of God and shows how it applies. 4:43-26:19

3. Moses' Third Sermon: Final exhortations to live out what has been preached in the first two sermons. 27:1-30:20

4. Moses' Final Instructions for how life is going to be in the Promised land. 31:1-33:29

5. Conclusion and Moses' death. 34

Over a period of less than a year Moses delivers these addresses. The redemptive identity of the nation as a chosen, called and committed people is explained. Yahweh as the Covenant keeping God, the Redeemer of His people and the Protector is emphasized. 

How we see Jesus Christ in Deuteronomy
We find Jesus Christ and His three-fold offices foreshadowed for us in the Book of Deuteronomy. First, we find Jesus as our King foreshadowed in Deuteronomy 17:15. Second, we are reminded of Jesus our High Priest who represents us before God in Deuteronomy 18:1. Then finally, we see pictured Jesus our Prophet who represents God to us in Deuteronomy 18:18. 

In addition to the offices of Christ, we find the work of Christ being foreshadowed in the various festivals and feasts that are listed in Deuteronomy 16.  The Passover depicts the Passover lamb and the commemoration of the Exodus from Egypt in Deuteronomy 16:1-8. Jesus o course fulfilled the Passover Lamb imagery by coming to be the Lamb of God who would die in the sinner's place. The feast of unleavened bread in Deuteronomy 16:8 recounts how the Israelites had to skip putting yeast in their bread on the night they fled Egypt and crossed the Red Sea back in Exodus 12-15. On the third morning following their initial setting out from Egypt, God closed the Red Sea over Pharaoh and a pursuing army. Deliverance had come. The Feast of unleavened bread would be the time when Jesus would be in the tomb for three-days and then rise from the dead to demonstrate that what He had done on the cross was accomplished and finished. 

We could say more about the remaining feasts of Pentecost (picturing Pentecost and Christ's sending of the Spirit) and the remaining feasts which point to what will be His second coming. Deuteronomy abounds in pictures, prophecies and patterns pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ. Wherever we see portraits of Jesus Christ, we will also find applications pertaining to the Christian that is in relationship to Him. 

Closing thoughts
We have only skimmed the surface in our last several days of journeying through Genesis through Deuteronomy. These five books are called in the Hebrew "Torah", meaning that which "guides". In the New Testament we find the authors using the Greek word translated "law" to define this set of books. As the foundation for the Old Testament, the Torah points the way forward to what would become the other two major divisions of the Hebrew Old Testament (the "prophets" and the "writings"). Jesus remarks in Luke 24:44 and John 5:39-40 that the "Torah" pointed to Him and that Moses was the author of all five. Whenever we grasp the significance of these five books, we are given access to rich insights in the remainder of the Bible, the work of Jesus Christ and the saga of redemption. 

A quick summary of the Book of Numbers

Numbers 1:52-54 "The sons of Israel shall camp, each man by his own camp, and each man by his own standard, according to their armies. 53 But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there will be no wrath on the congregation of the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the testimony.” 54 Thus the sons of Israel did; according to all which the Lord had commanded Moses, so they did."

Introduction:
What happens when you go through a dry time in your life as a Christian? In the desert we find opportunities that challenge us in terms of character, growth and trust in God. Deserts can be those times where we are tempted (like Jesus was in Matthew 4) or where we choose whether to trust God or run away in despair (like Elijah in 1 Kings 19). Perhaps you reading this today are in a dry time of your life. It is in those valleys where major decisions of life and spiritual consequence are made. 

The Book of of Numbers records for us the 40 years of wanderings the Jewish people made from Mount Sinai to drawing nearer to the Eastern banks of the Jordon river. The Hebrew name for this book is "mid-bar", which translated means "in the desert". Often when people think of the book of Numbers, they think of a Bible book one would read to fall asleep, since the English title suggests nothing more than a bunch of numbers, lists and genealogies. Now there are contained within the book those items, however, the Book of Numbers is way more than those contents. Numbers carries on as a sequel (a "part three") in the narrative flow of Exodus and Leviticus. The Book of Numbers carries on the story of the journeys of two generations of the Israelites, their unbelief and God's grace to bring the second generation to with sight of the promised land. 

An example of how the New Testament uses the Book of Numbers
Before Christians dismiss the Book of Numbers, let us be prompted to realize that the Apostle Paul uses it as the basis for his instructions in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13. In that chapter, Paul warns the Corinthians church about being tempted and what to do when faced with the pressures of this world. 1 Corinthians 10:1-6 corresponds with Numbers 1-21; 1 Corinthians 10:7-10 matches with Numbers 22-25 and 1 Corinthians 10:11-13 lines up with Numbers 26-36. If we did not have this usage of Numbers by Paul in 1 Corinthians 10, we would not have this promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."

A brief outline of the Book of Numbers
The Book of Numbers pictures for us how Christ is ever with His people, even when they fail. As we noted about Paul and his use of the book in 1 Corinthians 10, we find that Christ accompanied the people of God, disguised as the rock that Moses struck (Numbers 20:8-20). I like how Bible scholar Dr. Ed Hindson outlines Numbers in his "Old Testament Survey Notes", page 36:

I. Preparation: Walking (Numbers 1-12)

II. Postponement: Wandering (Numbers 13-20)

III. Promise: Waiting (Numbers 21-36)

Whenever you study any book of the Bible, oftentimes Study Bibles will include introductions that include such outlines. Below is a proposed outline of the book that attempts to capture the flow and timing of the book through its major sections: 

1. The wilderness setting. Numbers 1-2

2. The first year at Sinai and eventual preparations for moving forward. Number 3-12

3. The failure to believe the report of the spies and God's prohibitions for entering the promised land. Numbers 13-14

4. The remainder of the wilderness wanderings in the first year following the judgment of God. Numbers 15-19.

Now we must pause here and let the reader know that from Numbers 19-20 represents a jump from year one to year 38. There are over three and one-half decades of time not mentioned in detail. The curse upon the people for not believing the spies who had previewed the promised land was that the first generation would die off in the wilderness. Hence, the remainder of the book details the second generation's wanderings. 

5. Preparing the second generation for what will be their entry into the Promised land. This final major part of the book of Numbers 20-36 includes:

a. Major victories and major defeats. Number 20-21

b. The temptation by Balaam. Numbers 22-25

c. Preliminary preparations for what will be the entry into the promised land. Numbers 26-36

Final thoughts and how we see Jesus Christ in Numbers and how the book applies to the Christian life
The reader must understand that we are painting in broad brush strokes in the above outline. To really appreciate the Book of Numbers, as with all Old Testament Books, we consider what we see of Jesus Christ throughout its pages.  We've already mentioned Christ as the Rock who ever accompanies His people in the dryness of this world. Numbers 21 and Moses' lifting up of the serpent for the healing of those bitten in judgment is said to represent Jesus on the cross in John 3:15-16. Numbers 35 and the cities of refuge portray Jesus Christ as the believer's refuge. Imagery such as these ought to heighten the value of this precious Book. 

Certainly understanding the need for the modern day church to be a Godly people and to avoid the mistakes we find in Numbers is one of the key points of the book. To end today's post on a more positive note, the Book of Numbers functions throughout New Testament books like 1 Corinthians, Hebrews, 2 Peter and Jude to urge us in these last days to fight the good fight of faith whilst having Jesus ever with us.  

A quick summary of the Book of Leviticus

Leviticus 11:44 "For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth."

Introduction:
Over the last two days we have been summarizing the first two books of the Bible. Moses wrote Genesis and Exodus under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (Exodus 24:4). His purpose was to rehearse the origins of the Hebrew people delivered out of Egypt. Genesis is all about beginnings and Exodus is all about redemption. Today's summary continues on from where Exodus ended. 

If anyone reading this post today is a Christian, I'm sure you can recall what it was like in the early days following your conversion. Everything was new. For the Jewish people who were redeemed out of Egypt, their old way of life was still fresh on their minds. They needed to be instructed on their new identity in the Lord. It is likely that the timing of the writing of Leviticus occurs from one month to one year following the Exodus out of Egypt. 

Major Theme of Leviticus: Sonship
The major theme of Leviticus is that of sonship. Some 32 times we find Yahweh referring to the people as His "sons". Thus, Leviticus will aim to establish for these former slaves their new identity in God.

Leviticus is the sequel to Exodus
The setting of Leviticus takes place at the base of Mount Sinai - where Yahweh revealed Himself in thick cloud and delivered unto the people the Law of God (Exodus 19-20). The Law God God was never meant to provide salvation, but rather point to the need for it. Moreover, God prescribed the conditions in which His redeemed people would operate in their journeys with Him, and He with them. The revelation of the Tabernacle in both Exodus 24-40 and here in Leviticus is what we look to when searching for a proper illustration of sanctification or one's progressive growth in fellowship with God following salvation. If we consider Genesis as the "prequel" to Exodus - with Exodus functioning as the main event with respect to Yahweh's redemption of the Jewish people - then Leviticus operates as the sequel to Exodus.

Outline of Leviticus: Principles for godly living in sonship and fellowship with God
We will now offer a brief outline of Leviticus. Oftentimes when Christian people think of Leviticus, they shy away from it, thinking it to be nothing more than a laundry list of dry rituals, sacrifices and random laws. This caricature misses out on how Leviticus pictures for us the relationship between God and His people who are to grow in fellowship with Him. More importantly, the rich types and symbols found in the revelations of the priesthood, sacrifices and feasts give incredible insights into the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 3:15-16 testify that "all scripture is profitable". It is suggested to the reader to have Hebrews 9 open when working through the Book of Leviticus. The writer of Hebrews explicitly connects the dots of Leviticus to show the reader how Jesus is foreshadowed by the book. We will now offer a brief outline and conclude with some final thoughts and applications for today.

1. Complete work of redemption. Leviticus 1-7

The major sacrifices revealed in these seven chapters illustrate aspects of the post-conversion walk with God following salvation. Leviticus was not intended for sinners before salvation, but for believers following salvation. Key themes in the sacrifices are: reconciliation (Leviticus 1); right relationship with God as adopted sons (Leviticus 2); right relationship with God in justification (Leviticus 3) and right living for God in confession and restoration (Leviticus 4-7). 

2. Keys to effective ministry. Leviticus 8-10

The keys to effective ministry in these three chapters weave their way like a three-braided rope: founded on the blood, focus on the Word and the fire of the Spirit. The priesthood is ordained and established in these chapters. Just as Aaron and his sons could not properly begin to minister lest the altar be lit by the fire of God, so too no Christian today can serve God effectively lest they be illuminated and led by the Holy Spirit. The priests were to then continuous tend to the fire and perform their ministry. In as much as Christians are empowered by the Holy Spirit, there must needs be constant attendance to the Word and other spiritual disciplines to tend the fires of commitment to God. 

3. Avoid strange fire. Leviticus 11-12

Nadab and Abihu offered "strange fire", meaning they had accessed fire from another place outside the altar that had been initially lit by the celestial fire from God's holy presence. Christians today are warned to not conform to this world (Romans 12:2; 1 John 2:15-17). The true light of the Gospel is that given by God to us. To attempt to derive the light of truth from other "false gospels" is committing the same error we find in Leviticus 11-12. 

4. Sin is the leprosy of the soul. Leviticus 13-15

Years ago I had worked for a mold remediation specialist whose purpose was to remove mold from houses and commercial businesses. Mold thrives in dark, moist places and disperses spores that can cause respiratory conditions that can make people very sick. Amazingly, much of the instructions provided in these chapters are principles found in the mold-removal industry. Such a disgusting and disturbing phenomena as mold is used to illustrate the dangers of lurking, unconfessed sin. The Hebrew word used in these chapters to describe the mold and mildew is the word we find in the Old Testament for leprosy, a debilitating diseases that eats away at the fingers and limbs. Sin is leprosy to the soul. 

For brevity's sake, we will simply list the final main sections of Leviticus by only noting the headings. 

5. The centrality of the shedding of innocent blood in redemption. Leviticus 16-17

6. Practical holiness matters in one's relationship with God. Leviticus 18-22

7. Spiritual nourishment in one's walk with God. Leviticus 23-25

Final thoughts and applications
It is so hard to choose which details to include and exclude in short summaries such as this post. It is hoped that the reader can see how valuable the Book of Leviticus can be in understanding one's walk with God. Two quick examples show how important Leviticus can be to Christian identity: loving one's neighbor (Leviticus 19:18 cf Matthew 22:39 ) and being holy as God is holy (Leviticus 11:44 cf 1 Peter 1:16).

Without a doubt the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ is foreshadowed in its pages. The priesthood of Aaron and his sons would provide the framework and contrast to the superior Priesthood of Jesus Christ we find in the book of Hebrews. Leviticus 16-17 underscores the necessity of blood-bought redemption, the dominate theme in Christ's work on the cross (for instance, see Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 8-10 and 1 Peter 3:18). As we noted yesterday, the ministry of the Tabernacle provides ample illustrations for all aspects of Christ's Person and work (see the illustration below, taken from pintrest.com):


Again, one cannot dismiss such observations as coincidence. Only when we begin to read the Old Testament in light of the Christ event can such applications be made possible. May this quick summary whet the appetite of the reader in digging further into God's Word. 

A quick summary of the Book of Exodus

Exodus 3:11-12 "But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.”

Introduction:
Yesterday's post considered a quick summary of the book of Genesis. Genesis ends with the death of Joseph. Whenever we fast-forward hundreds of years later, we arrive at the days of Moses and the book of Exodus. Whenever we consider most of the books of the Hebrew Old Testament, many of their Hebrew titles correspond to the first word in their text. For the book of Exodus, the Hebrew title is "we-ay-lay she-moath" (וְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁמוֹת֙ ), which translated means "these are the names".  So which names is Moses referring to in his introduction to Exodus? No doubt, the initial first sentence reveals the identity of those "named": specifically, all those who had went down with Jacob in the days of Joseph. Exodus' purpose is to function as a sequel to the end of the book of Genesis. Just like many movies today that have sequels telling the story of certain characters and their lives many years later, the book of Exodus continues on the story of those "sons of Israel" who had traveled with Jacob down to Egypt back in the days of Joseph. 

So we could say that the book of Exodus, at least from its Hebrew name, is going to detail the lives of those descendants of Jacob and his relatives recorded in Genesis. But Exodus is so much more than a sequel and is not focused just primarily on the Hebrew people. The title "Exodus" which appears in our English Bibles derives from the title given to the book as seen in the Greek translation of the Old Testament - the Septuagint. This title conveys the Divine focus of the book in how God was going to deliver His people out of Egypt to go and worship Him in the desert in and around Mount Sinai (Exodus 3:11-12). God's preservation of the Hebrew peoples from the days of Jacob was evidence of what He had promised to Jacob's father Isaac and grandfather Abraham. 

With respect to the main character in the book of Exodus: God is center-stage. In Genesis we find God revealed as "Elohim". In Exodus, especially in His encounter with Moses in the burning bush in Exodus 3:14, we find God revealing His Personal, covenant name: "Yahweh". Yahweh in the Hebrew language is a variation from a verb "to be". Quite literally, not only does it mean "I am who I am" but it could just easily be translated "I am the One who is, am and ever will be". This Yahweh, Jehovah God is not only the Creator of the Heavens in earth in Genesis 1-11, He is the Author who brought forth the Hebrew people through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Genesis 12-50. Exodus was written to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to remind them of who they are and whose they are.

Yahweh of course will be the One who will call Moses to lead the people out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, to Mount Sinai and to build the Tabernacle - the worship center of Yahweh amidst the people. Without going into the technical details, we can date the Exodus event itself to 1446 b.c chronological information offered in 1 Kings 6:1; 2 Chronicles 3:1-2; Acts 7:6 and Galatians 3:17.

So much more could be said about Exodus. Since the purpose of this post is to summarize the book, I will simply offer a brief outline below. We will then conclude with a few observations concerning how the book of Exodus points the way to Jesus Christ.  

A summary outline of the Book of Exodus. 

Prologue: Exodus 1

Calling of Moses: Exodus 2-6

The Exodus: Exodus 7-15

Journey to Mount Sinai: Exodus 16-18

God's Covenant to Sinai: Exodus 20-23

The Tabernacle is revealed: Exodus 24-31

The Treachery of the Golden Calf: Exodus 32-33

The Tabernacle is completed: Exodus 34-40

Closing thoughts and applications
As Jesus Himself noted in Luke 24:44, all the Old Testament scriptures point to Him. The book of Exodus is no different. In Exodus, we see Moses the lawgiver and mediator of the Old Covenant, praying for the people and sent by God to lead the people out of bondage. This of course reminds us of Jesus, a new Moses of sorts, Who was sent by God to be the Mediator of the New Covenant (Hebrews 8-9) and lead those whom He calls and who respond in faith out of darkness and into the light of salvation (John 5:24-25; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6). 

A second picture of Christ we find in Exodus pertains to the Levitical Priesthood. Aaron was Israel's first High Priest, serving as Intercessor for the people. Jesus is designated the Christian's High Priest, serving in the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 7) and ever praying on behalf of His people (Hebrews 4:14-16).

A third picture of Jesus from Exodus is that of the tabernacle. Entire books and studies have been written over the years detailing how the tabernacle in Exodus illustrates Jesus and the relationship He has with His people. The arrangement of the seven main pieces of furniture, for example, are in the shape of a cross. I don't find this arrangement to be a coincidence. It is by Divine Design. New Testament passages such as John 1:14; 1 Corinthians 10 and Hebrews 7-10 indicate that the Tabernacle in some way foreshadowed what would be the ultimate Tabernacle of flesh and bone, God in human flesh - Jesus Christ.   

These are but a sample of the ways we see the Lord Jesus Christ in Exodus. Exodus portrays the central principle of salvation in the Bible: salvation is of the Lord. So much richness resides in the Book of Exodus. The Lord Jesus saw fit to formulate His institution of His own Lord's table (Mark 14:12-31; 1 Corinthians 11:23-27) from the Passover over ritual initiated in Exodus 12-14. On and on we could go, but the reader ought to see why the Book of Exodus merits our study, meditation and application. To God be the glory!  

A quick summary of the Book of Genesis

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Introduction:

How does the Bible begin? Interestingly enough the first book of the Bible has for its title a word that means "beginning": namely, "Genesis". The name "Genesis" derives from the Greek translation of the book, wherein it was given this title. The original language of the Old Testament was mainly Hebrew. So, when Genesis was composed in Hebrew, it was given the title "Beroshith", which, when translated, means "In the beginning" and which also corresponds to the first word of the book in the Hebrew text. Either way, we are dealing with the introduction to the greatest book in the world: the Bible. 

In all, the 39 books of the Old Testament consist of 419,687 words in the Hebrew and Aramaic texts behind our English translations and 138,162 words in the Greek text of of the New Testament. Such an enormous set of books comprise the "Book of Books" - the Bible. The very first book, Genesis, heads what will follow. In Genesis we find the seed bed of God's revelation which will yield full-grown truths, row by row, through God's progressive and unfolding revelation. Since Genesis is by its very own name about "beginnings", it is important to note briefly its contents:

Genesis 1-11 is about the beginning of history, or, historical narratives

a. Beginning of creation. Genesis 1-2

b. Beginning of the fall & redemption.         Genesis 3

c. Beginning of death.    Genesis 4-5

d. The flood.                 Genesis 6-9

e. Beginnings of civilization  Gen. 10-11

These various episodes in the opening chapters detail the failure of man, the judgment of God and the redemptive purposes wrought by God through His promises. God had given a covenant to Adam and Eve, a covenant of works, wherein they had a probationary period given to them that would result in perpetual bliss if they followed through the handful of commands God gave them. They failed and sinned. God then chose to give them a second covenant, a gracious covenant, that would be enacted by the shedding of innocent blood and be received by faith - all evidenced in His clothing of them with the skins of innocent animals at the end of Genesis 3. 

It is remarkable how throughout Genesis we see this contrast between man's failure to appropriate God's overtures of grace and trying to substitute iss own plan, with God ever extending His covenant of salvation through shed blood and reception of faith. Cain and Abel demonstrate this pattern, as well as Noah and the people of his day and the bloodline that would follow from his son Shem and the remainder of humanity. The drama of man's failure versus the top-down reach of God to man in extending grace that saves through faith grounded in the shedding of innocent blood replays repeatedly throughout the Old Testament. Such a pattern served to point the way to what would be the work of Christ on the cross, shedding His blood, and thus grounding salvation that is received by grace through faith.These types of patterns set the stage for what God aimed to do in the choosing of one man and one nation in the second part of the book of Genesis. In short, all of the events of Genesis 1-2 and 3-11 lead up to one family and one man - Abraham.

Genesis 12-50 is about the beginning of heavenly promises, or, the patriarchal narratives consisting of God's dealings with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. 

Now these two general divisions of the Book of Genesis are both historical and deal with God's heavenly promises and dealings with His people. The former division of course weighs more heavily on the side of historical summary and the latter more on the side of heavenly promise. As we mentioned a moment ago, Genesis 1-11 funnels to one man, Abraham. The narratives that follow in Genesis 12-50 telescope back out from Abraham down through his descendants.

a. Narratives about Abraham. 

    Gen. 12-23

b. Narratives about Isaac. Gen. 24-26

c. Narratives about Jacob. Gen. 27-36

d. Narratives about Joseph. Gen. 37-50

In these four narratives we find focus upon four key men: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. Abraham is the one given the promise of God with regards to His redemptive purposes He will achieve through Abraham's seed or bloodline. This "seed" promise is a repetition of what God had spoken to Eve in Genesis 3:15 and Noah in Genesis 9. In addition to promising to use Abraham's bloodline to bring about His redemptive purposes, we find additional promises concerning a land, a special relationship and untold blessing upon Abraham and his descendants. 

Ultimately, the covenant God made with Abraham would find its ultimate expression and fulfillment in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3-4) and will be finally completed by Him when He returns to restore Israel as a nation at His second coming (Romans 11:25). 

Isaac and Jacob stood as the heirs of this promise and Joseph typifies in his life and trials what would be a son, rejected by his brothers for the sake of being a savior of his people. Joseph, interestingly enough, foreshadows Jesus with respect to how Christ would be rejected by His people to be the Savior of His people. The book of Genesis is a marvelous book of the Bible and an awesome beginning to grasping all that God planned to do in unfolding His purposes of creation and redemption through the rest of scripture. Such a volume informs us as to what God wants to do in our lives and what He has achieved through Jesus Christ. 

Book Review of Erwin R. Lutzer's Book: Rescuing the Gospel

Galatians 1:11-12 "For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ."

Introduction:
Today's post is a brief review of a new book authored by the Pastor Emeritus of Moody Church in Chicago, Ill, Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer entitled: "Rescuing the Gospel: The Story and Significance of the Reformation" (Baker Books, 2016). 

Dr. Lutzer's book comes at a very timely season, since October 17th, 2016 will mark the 499th anniversary of the watershed event sparking the Protestant Reformation (Martin Luther's nailing of the 95 Theses on the Wittenburg Door, stating his opposition to the Roman Catholic Church's selling of indulgences). I will first summarize the contents of the book and then conclude with some personal takeaways in the overall value of the book. 

Summarizing "Rescuing the Gospel: The Story and Significance of the Reformation", by Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer

1. Laying the playing field for the book in the introduction and chapter one

In the introduction on page xv. of Dr. Lutzer's book: "Rescuing the Gospel", we find the following statement:

"Nearly all the conflicts of the Reformation are still ongoing today, albeit with different players and in a different context." 

By presenting his case as to why he wrote the book, he then begins chapter one by noting the "Power, Scandals and Corruption". Dr. Lutzer states on page one: 

"It's our nature to reject the gospel's verdict on us and resist the profound simplicity of it's transforming message of grace. The gospel must always be defended, and sometimes it must be rescued."

What Dr. Lutzer then does throughout the rest of chapter one is to lay the groundwork with his refreshing summary of the historic Protestant Reformation that shook the 16th century and which still has ripple effects today. 

2. What paved the way for the Protestant Reformation: chapters two and three

As the reader proceeds into chapters two and three of the book, one finds that there were two men who were used by God to call for reform in the Medieval Roman Catholic Church prior to the 16th century: John Huss and John Wycliffe. Both men lost their lives for their efforts in proclaiming the Gospel. Huss and Wycliffe's efforts provided a preview and foreshadowing of what would be a call for reform by Martin Luther. As Dr. Lutzer notes on page 7:

These prereformers tried to reform the church before the period we commonly refer to as the Reformation, but their success was limited and generally confined to local areas or a few specific issues. And yet their attempts weakened the stranglehold that the church had on the masses and paved the way for Luther.

3. The identity and significance of Martin Luther and his amazing life in chapters 4-12

As Dr. Lutzer introduces the reader to Martin Luther, the bulk of his book (chapters 4-12) presents a balance of Luther's beginnings; actions that triggered the reformation in Germany (such as his nailing of the 95 theses on the Door of the church at Wittenberg); his private life and struggles; his public debates with Catholic leaders and authorities; and then a final section on his family life. 

As a monk of the Augustinian Order of the Roman Catholic church, Luther began studying closely the New testament books of Romans and Galatians. Luther concluded that the church's view on how people were to be reconciled with God was at odds with the scriptures. Martin Luther's main contention with the Medieval Roman Catholic Church began with the issue of its sale of supposed extra-merits of grace to the masses which were termed "indulgences". 

The efforts of the Roman Catholic church to sell people on having less time in purgatory were aimed at funding the completion of St. Peter's Basilica Church in Rome. Luther found this practice to be offensive and posted 95 reasons why he opposed it and other practices of the church. This matter led to even bigger differences with which Luther had issue with the Pope and the church: namely how a person is made right before God (i.e justification by faith plus the Church's rituals or justification by faith alone) and the authority from whence we understand salvation, God and life in this world (The church or scripture alone).

The autobiographical style with which Dr. Lutzer presents Martin Luther in each of these chapters provides both spiritual lessons for believers today and valuable information concerning Luther and the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation. So much could be noted about the various trials, debates and adventures Luther ended up having as a result of his reform efforts. However, for sake of brevity, we will consider the following from page 141 of his book regarding Luther and his wife:

"Martin and Katie taught us not only how to live and love but also how to die. In the end, both humbly bowed to accept God's will in all things, including the inevitability of death. Even today their example of love and hard-won partnership is an inspiration to us all."

4. Three other major reformed movements that were contemporary with Luther's reforms - chapters 13-16

Dr. Lutzer then takes the reader to three other major movements which comprise the Reformation throughout Europe. Undoubtedly, Luther's reformed efforts in Germany lit a fuse that spread throughout Europe. 

In chapter 13, Dr. Lutzer summarizes the Swiss Reformation led by Huldrych Zwingli. Zwingli was a contemporary of Luther who at points took his efforts one step further. Luther attempted to reform the Roman Catholic church by never intending to break away from it (even though he eventually did). Zwingli on the other hand saw that if he were going to begin his reform efforts, a total break would be required. Both men would end up disagreeing with one another over the exact interpretation of the Lord's supper and how far to take the reforms. Zwingli's influence and reformation efforts would have its affects on another movement detailed by Dr. Lutzer called "The Anabaptists". 

In chapter 14, the reader is introduced to Anabaptists. This group of people represent what Lutzer calls "the radical reformation". The Anabaptists saw the need to not only break-away from the Roman Catholic Church, but even from the other Reformers' (i.e Luther, Zwingli and Calvin) view on the church as being more regional and the practice of infant baptism. Since the Anabaptists could not find infant baptism in the New Testament, Dr. Lutzer notes on page 154: 

"The men had been baptized as infants, but now they were baptized as adults on the profession of their faith in Christ." 

Since this group baptized anyone coming from the Roman Catholic Church into their fellowship, their enemies deemed them "ana-baptists", since they were accused of "baptizing again". As Dr. Lutzer details the life of this reformed movement, the reader finds how persecuted they were for their beliefs by both Roman Catholics and other Protestant groups. From the anabaptists would spawn such groups as the Mennonites, the Hutterites and the Amish. 

In chapter 15, the third movement we find in Dr. Lutzer's book is that led by John Calvin in the city of Geneva. Dr. Lutzer details Calvin's reforming of Geneva and lasting influence into today in chapter 16. Calvin's theology and view on church government influenced Christian leaders in places such as Scotland (led by John Knox), England (embodied by the efforts of the Puritans) and the Dutch Reformed church in Holland.  

5. The final chapter: Is the Reformation Over? 

The final chapter of Dr. Lutzer's book is perhaps the most significant chapter in the book, since he attempts to answer whether or not the reformation is still relevant for today. So the question is: "is the Reformation Over?" As mentioned earlier, 2016 stands as the 499th anniversary of the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation.  People may wonder whether Protestants ought to make peace with the Roman Catholic Church and vice-versa, since the lines drawn between them in the 16th century are surely no longer relevant for today. 

Per Dr. Lutzer's overall presentation, the call reformation must continue, since the Roman Catholic Church has retained tenets that are incompatible with the Evangelical Gospel of justification by faith alone. He lists reasons why the Reformation must continue and why the contemporary Romans Catholic Church will not and indeed cannot endorse an evangelical view of salvation on pages:

A. There can be no unity on the gospel of salvation without discussing indulgences, prayers to Mary, purgatory and the like.

B. Contemporary teachings which include Mary as being Queen of heaven and co-redeemer with Jesus.

C. The Roman Catholic teaching on transubstantiation 

D. The fact that the Roman Catholic Church still advocates indulgences or extra amounts of grace available through extra good works.

E. Other teachings that promote superstitions like weeping statues and its process of declaring departed Catholics to be "saints". 

Dr. Lutzer notes on page 199:

"The fact that there are some born-again believers in the Catholic churches is good news, but it doesn't affect the character of the church as a whole. No doubt there are many unnecessary divisions with the church today, but some are necessary when the doctrine of salvation is at issue. Yes, we must strive toward unity, but unity should not cause us to compromise the central doctrine of the scriptures. As the old saying goes, 'It is more important to be divided by truth than it is to be united by error."

As Dr. Lutzer closes out his book, he quotes Acts 20:28-32. In that Biblical passage, one finds Paul's final words to the church at Ephesus regarding warnings of false teachers infiltrating their ranks. The elders to whom Paul spoke to were ensure that the truth of the Gospel be preserved and protected - since the salvation of the souls of the congregation depended on it. The need for the Reformation and the thoughts of Acts 20:28-32 leads Dr. Lutzer to pen the following closing sentence: "This is our task in every age."

Final takeaways and Personal Assessment of the book 

This blogger found Dr. Lutzer's book to be accessible, informative, spiritually uplifting and compelling. If one possible criticism (and I use that term very lightly) could be raised, it would be that more material could had been devoted to the Anabaptists, Zwingli and Calvin to equal out the amount of material devoted to Martin Luther. Still, the conclusions Dr. Lutzer drew regarding the relevance and importance of the Reformation for today requires one to understand why Luther began the movement in the first place. If for anything else, the main value of "Rescuing the Gospel: The Story and Significance of the Reformation" is this: the battle for clarifying, communicating and applying the gospel is never done. Each generation has the responsibility to attend to the task of proclaim this message until Jesus returns (Matthew 24:14).